Hans Borm died sometime this weekend at the age of 65. Hans was a long-time supporter of scholastic chess in Central California and will be remembered as a player, coach, organizer and TD.
I will post additional detail as it becomes available.
Best,
Allan Fifield
Hans Timothy Borm (1946-2012)
Hans Timothy Borm, 65, passed away quietly in his sleep on January 14, 2012. Hans was born on June 23, 1946 in Dayton, Ohio. He grew up in nearby Inglewood, Ohio, graduating from Northmont High School in 1964. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in August of 1965. He served in Vietnam, stationed at Da Nang Air Base. He left the Marine Corps in July of 1969. Hans married his long time sweetheart Judee Kennedy on February 14, 1970. After graduating from California State University Dominguez Hills, he became a teacher. He taught several years in Compton, California before moving his wife and two children to Porterville to accept a job teaching Mathematics at Bartlett Jr. High. Hans loved being a teacher. He also coached girl’s volleyball and soccer. He was a coach for the Math Superbowl team. He taught chess at Bartlett, taking his teams to tournaments all across the state and across the country. His chess teams won several state titles and were ranked nationally. Hans later taught at Monache High School before retiring in 2007.
Hans had many hobbies and interests. He loved birds, raised and sold exotic parrots. He loved golf, Lindsay and Exeter were two of his favorite courses. He loved chess, played with friends and former students at home and at school. Most of all he loved people. He cherished family and friends. He enjoyed working with children, as a teacher, a coach, and a Boy Scout leader. He loved to play poker with his friends every Wednesday. He was friendly to everyone he met and always had a kind word and a smile to share. He had an enigmatic personality, full of odd quirks and traits that made him the man we all know and love.
He favored the comfort of a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and was seldom seen without at least five pens and pencils in his pocket. He never left on a family trip without a frisbee in the car. He would chat up to total strangers, talk for 20 minutes to a wrong number, and strike up friendly conversations with telemarketers. He was a friend to all and had a humongous heart.
In the last three years, he welcomed three grandchildren into the world who quickly became the highlight of his life. He was never happier than when he was holding one of his grandkids, taking them to the store, reading them a story, or rocking them to sleep.
While he was taken from us too soon, we will cherish all the wonderful memories of him. Hans is survived by his wife Judee, his daughter Allison (Ed Talbot), his son Tyson (Ruthe Borm), and his grandchildren Cailyn, Logan, and Colby.
There will be a memorial service held on Saturday, January 21st at the Monache High School cafeteria at 1:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend. We encourage any who wish to attend to wear a Hawaiian shirt and to bring a snack or dessert if they so choose.